Frequently Asked Questions

Placing a preorder ensures that you receive the exact models you desire when they become available in our Cleveland, Tennessee warehouse. We encourage customers to place their preorder by the Preorder Guarantee Date™. By placing a preorder, you agree to the terms and conditions set forth in the Preorder Policy. Simply go to our website or give us a call. Select the items you wish to preorder, and complete the checkout. Once the items arrive in our warehouse and are paid for, we’ll ship them to your home.

First, either call us or visit our website. There, you can browse for items that are available for preorder. Select the item you want to preorder and add it to the shopping cart. From the shopping cart, proceed to checkout. 

Follow the checkout process to complete your preorder reservation. Once complete, an order confirmation number is generated. The preorder reservation can be viewed and printed from the confirmation page. Additionally, an email will be sent with the preorder reservation details.

When a preorder is successfully entered through the website, an order number is generated. Additionally, the preorder reservation can be viewed and printed from the confirmation page. We also send an email at the time the preorder is placed to your provided email address with a copy of your preorder reservation details.

Payment for preorders is only collected once the preordered items arrive in our Cleveland, Tennessee warehouse and are ready for billing and shipping.

We do not accept deposits for preorders.

We do not offer any type of payment plan, layaway, or financing. However, customers who use PayPal can choose to take advantage of PayPal’s payment options such as Pay in 4, Pay Monthly, or PayPal Credit. You may purchase gift cards of any amount and use them as store credit towards your future purchases.

To make changes to a preorder, please call us or email us at Sales@Scaletrains.com with the specific order number along with the item numbers associated with the products you wish to add or remove.

The Preorder Guarantee Date is listed on each product page and indicates the date by which we need preorders submitted to tally quantities for the minimum production quantity. Once the minimum production quantity is tallied, we order from the factory a small percentage above that number to continue taking preorders until the preorders are sold out.

The preorder payment deadline is the last day to pay for your preorder. If you have chosen additional payment methods for your preorder, or your card payment fails, we will send an email to you with a secure payment link to complete the payment for your preorder. Contained within that email is the date and time by which your preorder will be returned to stock if payment is not made.

When an in-stock order or preorder is successfully entered through the website, an order number is generated. Additionally, a copy of the order or preorder can be viewed and printed from the confirmation page. We also send an email at the time the order or preorder is placed to your provided email address with a copy of your order or preorder details.

To purchase a virtual gift card from ScaleTrains.com™, type “gift card” into our website’s search bar. Click on the image of the ScaleTrains.com Gift Card Code. Once the screen loads, you can choose an amount, enter the recipient’s name and email address as well as your own information. Once complete, click the Add to Cart button. Click on the shopping cart and complete the checkout process.

On the upper right corner of the homepage, click on the person icon labeled ACCOUNT. A small menu will appear. Click on Account. Once the screen loads, click on the Create an Account button. Enter your information into the required fields. Then click the Create an Account button.

From the homepage of our website, scroll down until you see a black horizontal bar with the words “BE THE FIRST TO KNOW.” Enter your email address in the box labeled “Enter Your Email” then click JOIN.

Yes, it is out of stock.

We normally do not hold paid orders. The exceptions would be when a customer is out-of-town or has a medical situation that would prevent the safe reception of their package.

No, we are not set up to manage product pick-up at our warehouse.

We welcome product ideas and suggestions to help us better understand our customers' desires. Suggestions can be sent to Ideas@ScaleTrains.com.

The Warranty Policy in the product manual or instruction sheet contains information and the address for sending an item in for service. If you have a model produced prior to October 2022, the address may be different in your product manual than today.

ALL repairs should be sent to:

ScaleTrains.com Attn: Service Center

4901 Old Tasso Rd. NE Cleveland, Tennessee 37312 USA

This includes repairs sent in from other countries. There are no authorized servicers other than at our corporate headquarters in the United States.

Be sure to include the following with your repair item(s): Name, address, phone & email, a description of the trouble, and your purchase receipt (if purchased through a Select Retailer™).

Yes, but only on ScaleTrains family of products. Our current shop rate (July 2024) is $50/hour + parts and return shipping. If the repair were to exceed $99, return shipping is provided. We do not do “Wreck Repairs.” A wreck repair is a model that has been dropped, ran off of a layout, or otherwise physically damaged by accident or mishandling.

Repair times vary. Our goal is to return your model as quickly as possible, which can take some time depending on repair volume, parts availability, etc. You can expect an average of 30-45 business days to complete a repair.

We understand that sending a model in for repair is an anxious time and that you may wish to reach out for an update. Our repair team is small and works to meet the needs of all who contact us for product support, whether it is a part request, technical information, or a repair.

To be as efficient as possible and focus on the requests, we do not offer regular updates on repairs. If your model is in our facility longer than the average repair time, please contact us and we’ll provide an update on when we expect the model to be serviced.

ScaleTrains uses the ESU - Electronik Solutions Ulm brand of decoders exclusively. Full decoder manuals may be downloaded from their website at www.Loksound.com. Manuals are also available on the site for the non-sound Lokpilot decoders.

Speed matching locomotives is considered a customization of the decoder program like a custom address, momentum, etc. There are several methods one can use to accomplish this goal. Our product support team does not offer customization services.

Yes. Decoder Pro may be used to read and program the decoders we use. Our team does not provide support for using this software. Please refer to the JMRI website for instructional or troubleshooting instructions.

Yes. Our decoder programming is set up to allow for basic operation of the model when using a DC power pack.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Some DC train set power packs lack sufficient power output to operate a sound locomotive properly. Also, it is known that some model train DC power packs with a switching power supply can cause irreparable damage to the decoder that is not covered by our manufacturer’s warranty. So, while possible, it is not recommended to operate a decoder equipped model using a DC power supply.

Yes, on HO models the Kadee 148 (Standard) or 158 (Semi-scale) couplers or any of the whisker types may be used in the ScaleTrains coupler box. The Kadee #5 will not fit properly.

In N scale, the Micro Trains 1015 or 1016 coupler may be assembled and installed in our coupler box. You will not use the MT coupler box.

As a general rule, the answer is no, not at this time. However, we do have a small selection of detail parts for sale from time to time. Our goal regarding parts is to provide parts for our customers who are maintaining or repairing one of our models. We are not in the business of supplying parts for custom builds or detailing other models in general.

Our facility is an office environment and is not configured for dropping off or picking up repairs or merchandise. For this reason, we ask that you ship any item for repair to us, and we’ll take care of sending it back to you.

No. Our service center operates on a “First In, First Out” basis. In all fairness, we cannot accept a model and repair it while you wait.

Yes, only if you purchased your decoder from ScaleTrains.com (verified receipt required). We will program your decoder with one of our sound files prior to shipping it to you if you ask at the time of payment.

You must provide the stock number of the model you will be installing it in. We will ONLY use our files and will not download and install other files available from the ESU website or other websites. We will not program decoders purchased from another dealer.

In the near future, there will be a submission form on our website to submit suggestions. For now, email your suggestions to Ideas@ScaleTrains.com. You will get an automated response, but please do not expect contact back as we get lots of ideas from all over the world. If you have original photos of your suggestion, please send them if you are willing to share. We ask that you not submit photos that are not your original work in respect of other photographers.

Yes! By all means! We are very interested in adding images to our database to make researching new models easier. We have done this with many photographers and we do not share your work with others or in public without your written permission.

Contact us at Support@ScaleTrains.com and we will forward your email to our product developers to follow up with you and discuss the process and how we can help. Your photos may be what we need to complete a project.

You can pay by logging into your account and clicking on the “My Preorders” line in the gray bar on the left and then clicking “Pay Now.”

You can use the email link sent to your email associated with your account.

Contact us by phone at sales and we can take payment over the phone; please have your order number handy for faster service.

FAQ Answer